Sheet collecting and folding mechanism for printing presses



Jul 31, 1934.

H. M. BARBER 1,968,630

SHEET COLLECTING AND FOLDING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed April 13, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS H. M. BARBER July 31, 1934.

SHEET COLLECTING AND FOLDING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed April 15, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented July 31, 1934 PA-TENT. OFFICE COLLECTING AND FOLDING MECH- ANISM FOR PRINTINGY'PRESSES 'Howard M. Barber, Pawcatuck, Conn, assignor to C. B. Cottrell 8; Sons Company, Westerly, R. 1., a corporation of Delaware Application April 13, 1933, Serial no. 665,922

18 Claims.

"The object of this invention is to provide novel means whereby selected products of a different number of pages and page Widths may be delivered in one direction or in opposite directions,

The object of this invention is more particularly to'provide a novel means whereby the product'of a web printing press, when the product is cut into an odd number of sheets or superimposed sheets,

Q may be collected in'full or in part on a combined collecting-and folding cylinder having an even number of collecting surfaces; foldedoff therefrom, and delivered to one delivery in four page r signaturesor' multiples thereof; the remaining sheet or sheets, if any, being taken by a combined transfer and folding cylinder, folded off therefrom, and" delivered to another delivery.

3 A practical embodiment of my invention is 0 represented in the accompanying drawinga in e. which? e o Fig. 1 represents a diagrammatic side elevation showing one of the-couples of a rotaryweb perfecting printing press in connection withwhich my improved sheet collectingand folding mechanismisusedj A Fig. 2 represents a diagrammaticside elevation of my improved sheet collecting and folding mechanism; a e 1 Fig. 3 represents a detail view in side elevation illustratingthe cams for controlling the sheet engaging and folding devices on the several cylindersfand I l V "Fig. 4 represents a detail view inside elevation r illustrating another form of cam used for silencing one of the combined collectingand folding cylinder cams and for silencing the sheet'taking devices on the combined transfer and folding cylinder. i e r 3 In the embodiment herein shown, the web is designed to be printed and perfected in a' single color on each cycle of the press, forty-eight pages, six pagesaround and four pages across. In Fig. 1, one of the printingcouples is shown, the-form or printing cylinder being denoted by A and the impression cylinder by A. j of The printed web four pages wide 'may be fe from'the pressto the coacting web feed rolls 1 and2 around the roll 13. Two narrow webs two pages widemaybe fed from the press to the feed 0 rollsl and 2 around the rolls B and C respectively. Four narrow webs one pagewide may be fed from the press to the feedrolls -1 and 2 around the rolls B, C, D and E respectively. 1 Y I h Two coacting rotary cutters 3 and 4 are arranged in positionto receive theweb or websfrom the feed rolls land 2 and cut the same into an oddnumber of sheets or superimposed sheets each cycle of the press. The rotary cutter 3 is provided with two diametrically opposed cutting blades 5 and 6 and the rotary cutter 4. is provided with two diametrically opposed cutting blades '7 and 8 arranged to coact with their corresponding cutting blades 5 and 6 respectively, on therot'ary cutter 3. These rotary cutters are two-thirds the circumference of theprinting F cylinder A, or four pages around. i In other words, these coacting rotary cutters cut sheets equal'in length to one-third the circumference of the printing cylinder, or two pages around. A com bined sheet collecting and folding cylinder 9 has its coacting folding and delivery'cylinder' denoted by 10. l The cylinder 9 is provided with two diametrically opposed sets of sheet engaging devices which are herein shown as sets of normally pro jecting disappearingsheet-impaling pins 11 and 12 respectively. This collecting and folding cylinder 9 is further provided with two diametrically opposedfolding blades 13 and 14. The folding and delivery cylinder 10 is provided with a single set. of folding jaws lfi arranged to coact at the proper times with the folding blades 13 and 14 of the collecting and folding cylinder 9, after the selected product has been collected on said cylinder 9. 1 --"I'he combined-collecting and folding cylinder 9 is two-thirds the circumference of the printing cylinder," or four pages around. Thefolding and delivery cylinder 10 hasa circumference equal'to that of the printing cylinder, or six pages around. Therefore; the cylinder- 9 rotates one and onehalf revolutions to each revolution of the cylinderlO. A suitabledelive'ry 17 is provided for receiving the" signatures from the folding and delivery cylinder 10. l -.A.combinedsheet transfer and folding cylinder 18 isarranged to coact at the proper times with its companion folding'and delivery cylinder 19. The combined transfer and folding cylinder 18 is provided with a single set of sheet engaging devices, in the present instance a set of normally projecting disappearing impaling pins'20. This cylinder 18 is also provided with a single folding blade-21. "The folding and delivery cylinder 19 is providedwith asingle set of folding jaws 22 arranged to coact-at theproper times with th folding blade 21 on the cylinder 18.

A suitable delivery24 is provided for receiving the signatures from the folding and delivery cylinder '19. V

The means which I have shown for controlling the operation of the several sheet engaging and folding devices for collecting, folding and delivering the selective product to one or both deliveries may be constructed, arranged and operated as follows:

A changeable rotary box cam is mounted on the shaft of the combined transfer and folding cylinder 18, which box cam comprises acommon half member 26 and two interchangeable half members 27 and 28. The common half member 26 has a semicircular cam groove 29 concentric with the shaft 25. The interchangeable half member 27 has a semicircular groove 30 matching with the groove 29, said semicircular groove 30 having an offset portion 31. The interchangeable half member 28 is provided with a semicircular groove 32 matching with the groove 29 in the common half member 26.

When it is desired to control the action of the' sets of normally projecting pins on the collecting and folding cylinder 9 at their sheet taking point, the rotary cam members 26 and 27 are used. A movable cam 33 is brought into and out of its position to engage the studs or rollers 34, 35 of the sets of disappearing pins 11 and 12 by providing the movable cam 33 with a stud or roller 36 which travels in the cam groove 29, 30. When it is not desired to control the action of the sets of disappearing pins 11 and 12 at their sheet taking point the cam members 26 and 28 are used and the cam 33 is held out of its operative position as its stud or roller 36 travels in the cam groove 29, 32.

A movable cam 37 controls the sets of disappearing pins 11 and 12 on the cylinder 9 to permit the signatures to be folded off onto the folding and delivery cylinder 10, which movable cam 37 is provided with a stud or roller 38 traveling in the groove 39 of a rotary box cam 49 mounted on the shaft 41 of the said cylinder 10, said groove 39 having an offset portion 42.

A stationary cam 43 is arranged in position to engage the stud or roller 44 of the folding jaws 15 on the cylinder 10 to open the jaws at the proper point to deliver the signatures to the delivery 17 and to hold the said jaws open until they reach the point where they receive the signatures from the cylinder 9.

A stationary cam 45 is arranged in position to engage the stud or roller 46 of the set of disappearing pins 20 on the transfer and folding cylinder 18 to permit the sheets to be folded off onto the folding and delivery cylinder 19. This stud or roller 46 may be held in an inoperative position when so desired, as for instance by means of a removable pin 47 engaging the spring pressed rod 48 beyond its guide 49, after the stud or roller 46 has been moved inwardly to a point where it will not engage the cam 45.

A fixed cam 50 is arranged'in position to engage the stud or roller 51 of the folding jaws 22 on the folding and delivery cylinder 19 to open the folding jaws at the proper point to deliver the signatures onto the delivery 24 and to hold the jaws open until they receive the sheets from the cylinder 18. I J

In the embodiment of the invention shown and described herein, the operation is as follows:

The full forty-eight page product of the press is collected, folded, and delivered in any of the following combinations, to-wit:

Four eight page signatures to delivery 1'7 and four four page signatures to delivery 24; or four twelve page signatures to delivery .17; -or two sixteen page signatures to delivery 17 and two eight page signatures to delivery 24; or two twenty-four page signatures to delivery 17; or one thirty-two page signature to delivery 17 and one sixteen page signature to delivery 24.

When the full web four pages wide is to be collected, folded, and delivered, the cutters 3 and 4 cut the web into three sheets each cycle of the press. When the web is slit into two narrow webs two pages wide, the two webs are combined and fed to the rotary cutters 3, 4, Where they are cut into three pairs of sheets each cycle of the press. When the web is slit into four narrow webs one page wide, the four narrow webs are combined and fed to the cutters 3 and 4 where they are cut into three groups of four sheets each, each cycle of the press.

When four eight page signatures are to be delivered to the delivery 17 and four four page signatures to delivery 24, the web four pages wide is passed through the rotary cutters 3 and 4. The firstand third sheets are taken by the pins 11 on the cylinder 9 and the second sheet by the pins 20 on the cylinder 18. The twosuperimposed sheets on the cylinder 9 are folded ofi on to the delivery cylinder 10 and there slit longitudinally by the slitters 16 into four eight page signatures and then deposited on to the delivery 17. The second sheet is folded oif from the cylinder 18 on the delivery cylinder 19 and there slit longitudinally by the slitters 23 into four four page signatures and then deposited on to the delivery 24.

Where four twelve page signatures are to be delivered to the delivery 17, the web four pages wide is passed through the rotary cutters 3 and 4. The so out sheets are collected alternately by the pins 11 and 12 on the cylinder 9 until each set of pins has three sheets. These so collected sheets are folded off on to the delivery cylinder 10 and there slit into four signatures of twelve pages each and then deposited on to the delivery 17.

Where two sixteen page signatures are to be delivered to delivery 17 and two eight page signatures to delivery 24, the web is slit longitudinally into twonarrow webs two pages wide and superimposed before passing through the rotary cutters 3 and 4. The first and third groups of sheets are taken by the pins 11 on the cylinder 9 and the second group of sheets is taken by the pins 20 on the cylinder 18. The four superimposed sheets on cylinder 9 are folded off on to the delivery cylinder 10 and there slit longitudinally by the slitters 16 into two sixteen page signatures and then deposited on to the delivery 17. The second group of sheets is folded 01f from the cylinder 18 on the delivery cylinder 19 and there slit longitudinally by the slitters 23 into two eight page signatures and then deposited on to the delivery 24.

Where two twenty-four page signatures are to be delivered to the delivery 17, the web is slit longitudinally into two narrow webs two pages wide and superimposed before passing through the rotary cutters 3 and 4. These groups of sheets are then taken alternately by the pins 11 and 12 on the cylinder 9 until three collections are made on each pin. The sheets are then successively folded off on to the delivery cylinder 10 and slit longitudinally by the slitters 16 into two twentyfour page signatures and then deposited on to the delivery 17.

Where one thirty-two page signature is to be delivered to delivery 17 and one sixteen page signaturet'o delivery 24, th'e is'slit long itudinally into four narrow webs one page-'wid'eiand super imposed before passingthrough'throtary cutters 3 and 4. The first and third gr-oupsof sheets are collected by the pins ll 'on thecylind'er 9 and the second group of sheets '-'is takenby the- 'pins 20'on the cylinder '18. 1 These groups of sheets are folded off onto their cylinders 10 and I9 and' the signatures deposited" by said cylinders onto the 'deliveriesl'l and 24respective1y. 5 if Where one forty-eight page" signature is to be delivered to deliveryj-l'l, the web' is slit longitudinally into fournarrow-webs one page wide and superimposed before passing through the rotary cutters 3 and 4; These'groups of sheets are' taken alternately by the pinsll and 12 on the cylinder ennui threecollections are made ohfeach set of pins. "These 'groups of s'heets are then succes- 'sively folded off on to the delivery cylinder 10and deposited thereby on-to thedelivery 171;! It'is to be" understood that when a part of the product is to be "deliveredto bbth 'of the deliveries Hand-24, the cam 33 is-bro'ught intoits' operative position by the required intervals, by theme of the half cam'member Z'lftdcadse certain of the sheets to be takenby thetransfer cylinder 13.

It will also beunder'stood that ivhere the who-le product is to be" delivered to" the" delivery 17, the movable cam 33 is held out of its operative posi tiorrby using the half carn nernber28= In this latter instance the" stud or roller l'fi for the inipaling pins 20 'isfsecured in the position in which it will not beengagedby-thefixed cam' 45. It will also be understoodthat; if so'desired', the collected and folded signatures other than those one pagewide may be slit 'lcngitudinally on the folding anddeliverycylinder 10' by one 'or more slitters 16' and on thefolding and delivery cylinder 19 by oneor-rnore slitters 23; Y It, is evident that teams changes may be resorted to in the constructi'on; form and arrangement of the severalparts without departing from the spirit andscope of my invention, and hence I do not intend to be limited to the particular embodiment herein shown and described, but

What I claim is:

1. Coacting rotary cutters arranged to cut the web product of one cycle of a printing press into an odd number of sheets or groups of sheets, and coacting collecting and folding cylinders arranged to receive the so cut sheets or groups of sheets from the cutters and to collect and fold the sheets or groups of sheets into various paged signatures, and deliver them.

2. Coacting rotary cutters arranged to cut the web product of one cycle of a printing press into three sheets or groups of sheets, and coacting collecting and folding cylinders arranged toreceive the so cut sheets or groups of sheets from the cutters and to collect and fold the sheets or groups of sheets into various paged signatures, and deliver them.

3. Means for cutting the web product of one cycle of a printing press into an odd number of sheets or groups of sheets, and means for collecting and folding the sheets or groups of sheets into various paged signatures and delivering them, including a collecting and folding cylinder having an even number of collecting surfaces.

4. Means for cutting the web product of one cycle of a printing press into three sheets or groups of sheets, and means for collecting and folding the sheets or groups of sheets into various paged signatures and delivering them, in-

cluding? "'a' collecting; and folding. cylinder Thaw ingfitwo collecting "surfaces.

5'. Means'for cutting the web product: oone cycle of-aiprinting .p'ress into'fan oddfnumber of sheets or groups of sheets, and" means for ..col*- 'le'cti'n'g and 'folding the sheets or gr'oupsc of sheets into various" paged signatures and'delivefi ing them, including a collecting a'nd'folding cylt inderhavin'g an evennumber-sof collecting sur= faces and a coacting folding and delivery cyl inder-L r 6;Means for cutting the "web product" of's'one c'yc'le of a printing press into three sheets or groups of sheets, and means for collecting' and folding the sheets or groups of sheets into' vari ous pagedsig'natures and delivering-them, includ inga collecting and folding cylinder having two collecting surfaces and a Coacting folding-"and deliver-ycylinder. i 1 7. Means for cutting the Web product of one cycle of 'a printing press into an odd n'umber of sheets or groups of -sheets,- and means for collect ing and folding the sheets or? groups of sheets into various paged signatures and "delivering them, includinga collecting and fold-ing cylinder havinganeven number of collecting surfaces and a coacting folding and delivery cylinderg'the collecting and folding cylinder "being two-thirds the circumferenceof the folding and deuver cyh irideri and the folding fan'd delivery cylinder bemgthesame circumference asthe printing cyl? inderofthe printingpress;

"8; Means for cutting the; web-product of one cycle of a printing press into three sheets or groups of shee'ts, and means for collecting and folding" the sheets or groups of sheets into various paged signatures and delivering them, in cluding a collecting and folding cylinder new: irig two collectingsurfacesanda coaoting roming anddeli've'rycylinder, the collecting and fold ingcylin'der being two-thirds'the circumference of'the folding and delivery cylinder, and v the foldingand deli-very cylinder being the'same circumference as the printing cylinder of the printing press.

9. Coacting rotary cutters arranged to out the web product of one cycle of the printing press into an odd number of sheets or groups of sheets, and coacting collecting and folding cylinders arranged to receive the sheets or groups of sheets from the cutters and to collect and fold the sheets or groups of sheets into various paged signatures, and deliver them to one or two delivery points.

10. Coacting rotary cutters arranged to cut the web product of one cycle of a printing press into 1 three sheets or groups of sheets, and coacting collecting and folding cylinders arranged to receive the sheets or groups of sheets from the cutters and to collect and fold the sheets or groups of sheets into various paged signatures, and deliver them to one or two delivery points.

11. Means for cutting the web product of one cycle of a printing press into an odd number of sheets or groups of sheets, and means for collecting and folding the sheets or groups of sheets into various paged signatures and delivering them to one or two delivery points,said last named means including a collecting and folding cylinder having an even number of collecting surfaces, a

transfer and folding cylinder, and two folding and f delivery cylinders coacting with the collecting and folding cylinder and the transfer and folding cylinder respectively.

12. Means for cutting the web product of one cycle of a printing press into three sheets or groups of sheets,.and means for collecting and folding the sheets or groups of sheets into various paged signatures and delivering them to one or two delivery points, said last named means including a collecting and folding cylinder having two collecting surfaces, a transfer and folding cylinder, and two folding and delivery cylinders coacting with the collecting and folding cylinder and the transfer and folding cylinder respectively.

13. Means for cutting the web product of one cycle of a printing press into an odd number of sheets or groups of sheets, and means for collecting and folding the sheets or groups of sheets into various paged signatures and delivering them to one or two delivery points, said last named means including a collecting and folding cylinder having an even number of collecting surfaces, a transfer and folding cylinder, and two folding and delivery cylinders coacting with the collecting and folding cylinder and the transfer and folding cylinder respectively, the collecting and folding cylinder being two-thirds the circumference of the remaining cylinders.

14. Means for cutting the web product of one cycle of a printing press into three sheets or groups of sheets, and means for collecting and foldingthe sheets or groups of sheets into various paged signatures and delivering them to one or two delivery points, said last named means including a collecting and folding cylinder having two collecting surfaces, a transfer and folding cylinder, and two folding and delivery cylinders coacting with the collecting and folding cylinder and the transfer and folding cylinder respectively, the collecting and folding cylinder being twothirds the circumference of the remaining cylinders.

15. Coacting rotary cutters arranged to cut' the full width web product of onecycle of the press into three sheets, or a half width product into three groups of two sheets each, or a quarter width product into three groups of four sheets each, and coacting collecting and folding cylinders arranged to receive the sheets or groups of sheets from the cutters and to collect and fold the sheets or groups of sheets into various paged signatures, and deliver them.

16. Coacting rotary cutters arranged to cut the full width web product of one cycle of the press into three sheets, or a half width product into three groups of two sheets each, or a quarter width product into three groups of four sheets each, and coacting collecting and folding cylinders arranged to receive the sheets or groups of sheets from the cutters and to collect and fold the sheets or groups of sheets into various paged signatures, and deliver them to one or two delivery points.

17. Coacting rotary cutters arranged to cut the full width web product of a press of forty-eight pages, six pages around and four pages across, in each cycle of the press, into three sheets four pages wide and two page long, or three groups of two sheets each, two pages wide and two pages long, or three groups of four sheets each, one page wide and two pages long, and coacting collecting and folding cylinders arranged to receive the sheets or groups of sheets from the cutters and to collect and fold the sheets or groups of sheets into various paged signatures, and deliver them.

18. Coacting rotary cutters arranged to cut the full width web product of a press of forty-eight pages, six pages around and four pages across, in each cycle of the press, into three sheets four pages wide and two pages long, or three groups of two sheets each, two pages wide and two pages long, or three groups of four sheets each, one page wide and two pages long, and coacting collecting and folding cylinders arranged to receive the sheets or groups of sheets from the cutters and to collect and fold the sheets or groups of sheets into various paged signatures, and deliver them to one or two delivery points.

HOWARD M. BARBER. 

